Acer Aspire T180 RAM update

[gwam]

Hi fellas, Does anyone know what settings in BIOS I should use when upgrading to a Kingston 4GB RAM kit. My machine is five years old. I thought it would be a case of replacing the old RAM for the new. It did work fine for two weeks and then one morning it would not get past the BIOS, it just beeped at me. I replaced the old RAM and it works as normal but according to the place where I bought it I must alter some settings in the BIOS. They could not help me and I have tried Acer but my computer is out of warranty and they do not support any additional hardware fitted by myself.

[Jelly Bean]

Hello and welcome....

 

I know your machine supports upto 4 gb RAM....I checked your system specs.

 

You dont state wich RAM you bought such as speed etc.

 

Your machine takes:256MB DDR2 533/667/800 SDRAM expandable to 4GB.

 

This maybe a case of incompatible RAM....

[gwam]

Hi and thanks for the welcome and reply. Its a Kingston 4GB kit KHX8500D2T1K2/4G DDR2.

[Jelly Bean]

You have bought the wrong RAM.....Your machine takes single SDRAM not DDR2.....

 

Here run this it will tell you what RAM you need.

 

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/

[gwam]

Hi, I ran the Crucial tool and one of the questions was " What memory goes into my computer " and the answer was "DDR2 memory with support for DDR2 PC2-6400, DDR2 PC2-8500, DDR2 PC2-5300 speeds ". It also states that I can only use 1GB max per slot. I have sent Kingston an E-mail and have to wait 48 hours for a reply. But if they say the same I shall return the RAM. You wouldn't know if Kingston run one of these tools would you. Otherwise thanks for your help so far.

[RandyL]

I know Kingston has a memory lookup feature on their main page. Kingston

 

Use that and it will probably tell you what Crucial did.

[Dalo Harkin]

According to this:-

DESCRIPTION:

Kingston's KHX8500D2T1K2/4G is a kit of two 256M x 64-bit 2GB (2048MB) DDR2-1066 CL5

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) memory modules, based on sixteen 128M x 8-bit DDR2 FBGA

components per module. Total kit capacity is 4GB (4096MB). Each module pair has been tested to

run at DDR2- 1066MHz at a latency timing of 5-5-5-15 at 2.2V - 2.3V. The SPD is programmed to

JEDEC standard latency 800Mhz timing of 5-5-5-18 at 1.8V. Each 240-pin DIMM uses gold contact

fingers and requires +1.8V. The electrical and mechanical specifications are as follows:

 

They are fine, when you look at the RAM timings in the BIOS, just set them all to manual, if no joy then use the above info for the timings and voltage :)

[gwam]

Hi Dalo Harkin, Thanks but I'm afraid all that you have told me has fallen on barren ground. I haven't a clue what you just said. I can just about manage to get into BIOS without making a mess of things. When I did look in the BIOS, Phoenix by the way, there was no mension or means of altering timings or voltages. All I wanted in the first place was to buy new RAM that I could plug and play. I have had a reply from Kingston, something about overclocking. ( Straight over my head ) I am now hoping to return these modules and hopefully get the correct replacements, 4 X 1GB by the look of things from Crucial. A bit more expensive but hopefully will work.

[Dalo Harkin]

No worries, the modules you have are 2x2GB which your MOBO says that it can only take a maximum of 1GB per slot

With regards to the BIOS you want the second tab on the left (phoenix) from memory anyway, it tells the CPU speed and what the RAM is running at 5-5-5-15 for example.

Just check it matches what I posted above, but as you said the MOBO only takes 1GB modules it may make no difference, but worth a try

[gwam]

Hi, guys I would just like to thank you for your help. I have returned the Kingston RAM, one month later, and replaced them with 4 X 1024 DDR2 - SDRAM PC - 6400 (399 MHz) - [DDR2- 800] SSTL 1.8v unnamed modules, and so far they work fine, (second day).

[Plastic Nev]

Thanks for the update and now four days on it hopefully will continue to be OK.

Nev.